May 17, 2010 12:00 AM I started and finished my small crinoline girl April 28, 2010. She was supposed to be from size 70thread and a 14 hook to go on a handkerchief, but you know that don't sound like me! Same old #7hook and #10 thread (At Lydia Aqua & White)! I think I learned a lot making her, there were a lot of little fiddly things to do, and ends to bury and things to situate. She came out about 5x6". The pattern can easily be found on ebay in the old book Crinoline Lady in Crochet. BUT, be careful to get the original that has writting toward the top of the cover where it says either: 1949 Coat’s & Clark’s (or Spool Cotton Co) Book No 262. If there is no small print at the top of the front cover, then it could be a repro from Yesterdaze, which cost more than the vintage copies AND THEY LEAVE OUT A FEW PATTERNS. That was just maddening to find out I paid more and got less patterns than if I'd just bought an old copy on ebay! I also bought Sunbonnet Lil from them, and find they left out patterns from it too, so just try to get an original from ebay, as the repro's are incomplete.
I made 6 petals in my flowers by doing the ch 1, sl st, ch 1 until there were 6. I made 3 extra flowers for the top edges of the skirt and the hat, and I made 3 extra so I could put one of the top of each side of the skirt, and on the hat.
I left my little gal on the kitchen table when I went to bed, and when I woke up, hubby had left a little post-it note beside her :)
I loved her so much, that I finished this "Ms Love Miniature Crinoline" on May 17th, 2010. You can buy the pattern from crochet memories in either a single purchase, or in a package of the miniature crinoline girls, here:
http://www.crochetmemories.com/patterns/miss-love-miniature-crinoline.php
or in the miniature package:
http://www.crochetmemories.com/patterns/miniature-crinoline-girl-doily-pack.php
Here's my personal changes/notes: I used a 1.5mm(USA #8 hook) and At Lydia Pink & White - the pink label was missing, so don't have exact name. I usually put the wrapper inside the core, but it got away, somehow :( I usually adjust things to my own style, just a little, here's my notes:
The first thing I did was the hat, and I noticed mine was too flat. When I did the white, there was the end thread, which I covered by crocheting over it with the pink for the brim. I saw a little of the end sticking out, and pulled it, and my hat raised into a nice dome, so dont cut that string until you are sure the hat is not flat!
I did a few things in a way that were easier for me. Like I didnt put the hat on until AFTER the girl was done. It just seemed to heavy clunking around. So, I took the white hat edging starting and finishing threads and put them thru the dress and tied them in a bow, like anyone would tie their hat under their chin. Since I did not start by attaching bodice to hat, instead I: ch 6, 4dc into 4th ch from hook. Skp 1 ch. 5dc in last st. Then rnd 2.
I wanted hands, so I used peach and did 3sc, then 3ch and turned, making 2 dc that went into a cluster for the hand tip. I noticed the beautiful heart shapes on the bottom of the dress, and didnt want anything to interfere with their shape, so left off the ending ruffle. I made the basket, then worked the hand, completing the cluster around the basket. BUT, I wish I had been smart enough to do the flowers before putting it on the hand, they were a bear to get on after it was already attached. I used small wired flowers from the wedding section at Hobby Lobby and wired them on.
May 6, 2010 12:00 AM This is my cabbage patch bonnet for my preemie. The pattern is available on www.ravelry.com as a free download. If you are not a member, I highly recommend it for finding pattern sources and inspiration. If you are already a member, the pattern is here:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cabbage-patch-kid-crocheted-bonnet
I used Hobby Lobby Brand "Baby Bee Sweet Delight" in color Snuggle Ombre, with a USA size #F hook.
This is me doing the post stitch from the pattern, going from right side of next post, behind it, and coming up on the left side to grab the working yarn. It will go back behind the post to reach the 2 st on the hook that are waiting to complete the dc.:
I made some simple changes to the pattern/wording and the designer has incorporated those into her pattern download. The pattern goes extremely fast, highly recommend! Apr 16, 2010 12:00 AM This is a vintage pattern and a little pondering was needed to have it come out correctly. I used a #7 steel hook and At Lydia's #10 thread in white and Golden Yellow.
FORSYTHIA DOILY by the American Thread Company in Star Bk #151, Doilies and the pattern is now out of copyright and can be found by joining the yahoo group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtsvintagecrochet/
I have a boatload of notes and demo pics on this doily on ravelry, same name there "cozyhomelife", here:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/cozyhomelife/forsythia
Mar 28, 2010 12:00 AM Ok, here's my Autumn Reflections, looking nothing like autumn! I took 2 pics, because I couldn't make up my mind which look I liked better.
Here's the one with the cup made from a sweater (I didn't make) that I told you about sometime earlier:
And here's one with a pic of one of my sweet madonna & child figurines I love:
link to pattern:
http://www.crochetmemories.com/archive/november4.html
Jan 29, 2010 12:00 AM "HEART" from Ultimate BOOK of Miniature Doilies
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| I saw this small, very simple looking little 4 heart doily in one of my books and decided to make it. It was whipping right along, and I was living in a world where I believed the humps of the top of the heart would be made by a series of triple crochet stitches and slip stitches for the low middle part. Unfortunately, when I reached that part, I found that you had to fasten off and restart for each hump at the top of a heart! arggg... I did it, but now the instructions for the chain stitch loops around it are just insane, like rejoin in the first stitch of the 7th round on the right side of the top of the heart's first half. Just way too many words there. I'd much preferred an arrow pointing to the picture! Look at this mess! (wails the person who hates hiding ends) |
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Well, it took me 1 hour and 20 minutes to hide all the ends from the heart humps that had to all be worked separately - and that's a LOT of time spent burying ends for a 4.5" doily! I used a pale pink that was a DMC Traditions thread (not cebelia) that used to be found at Walmart, and changed to a white for the final round. There are so many ends because you have to finish each heart bump top separately.
For the white finish rnds, just the last round that encircles the hearts and brings it all together, and then a round of stitches over it to give it some weight. I looked at the pic in the book and just aimlessly do it, since just reading the first line of where to put the first stitch drove me insane, and each stitch has an equally alarming description of where it goes. After all, the person who did it originally had no instructions and just decided where to put them... so......
It was very sweet when done, though.
Jan 20, 2010 4:31 PM While waiting for the next sock installment, I made this Double Bump Dish Cloth using needles #7USA & SnC Pretty Pastels, from here:
http://myjewelthief.typepad.com/myjewelthief_knits/2008/12/doubel-bump-scarves.html
The Front:
OH, and it's worth mentioned that it was easy for me to mix up the stitches, so I needed to check each row about 3x as I worked, and usually found errors!
The Back:
Jan 19, 2010 1:30 AM One of the yahoo groups I belong to is Rachels_Knitting_Room and eventhough it's a dishcloth group, Chappy is giving us a sock kal right now. I've made 2 'house socks' before, that were knit like regular socks, just bigger yarn than sock yarn, so this is the 3rd. But those were a couple years back, so not real clear in my mind. Also, I went to www.youtube.com and looked up German Twist Cast-On and learned to do that, as it makes for very stretchy edge and will be good for the sock cuff. I cast-on using a size 7USA dpn, then moved the first 12 to the #4dpn, and the last 12 to a #4dpn, switching out the middle #7dpn for a #4 when it was knit onto one in the first rnd. Incase anyone doesn't know it, you don't knit with the 3 you are cast-on to, you use an empty 4th needle, and everytime you finish the stitches on one needle, it becomes the working needle (except that #7 that I cast-on with).
It calls for a worsted weight yarn and #4USA DPNs (double pointed needles). I'm using Wool-Ease that I got on sale at Hobby Lobby for only $1.38 the other day. I hope it's just the color they are discontinuing, and not the Wool-Ease. It's Fuschia 137. I have 2 balls, so will make a sock from each ball so I want have to join anywhere and end up with a knot under my foot. Hopefully no knots in the ball! My needles are Balene II by Boyle. They are a plastic and really great for DPNs, because they don't slip out of the stitches, but are very light weight and even kind of cling on. So, I'm having no problems of losing stitches.
I'm not sure what the finished sock will look like, if the cuff goes straight into the heel like a sockette or if there is more leg coming, so I went ahead and made all 15rnds for the cuff, which is larger than the 1.5" it calls for. I'm not sure where to measure from, but if I include the loops on the needles, mine measure 2.25", if I don't include those loops, it's 2". I'll have to wait to see what kind of sock it turns into to know if making it bigger looks stupid or not... but I was having fun, and decided to do all 15 rnds :) I hope I'm going at this right, and that I finish this, as I have a house full of UFOs already, and don't want this to go in that pile! Here's what I've done today, now to wait for the next part of the KAL instructions:
Jan 11, 2010 12:00 AM I lost my little cairn terrier 'Buddy', Sat, Jan 8, 2010. He was a rescue that we got 2 years ago, and such a blessing to have known. I knitted this pattern that looks like him, it was a lot of comfort to knit and think about him. I finished it Jan 11, Monday.
I love seeing his little stocky figure on this cloth, and the color reminds me of his beautiful golden, nearly a strawberry blonde fur. I used P&C, color camel. This is funny, I just looked at the animals on her site and she has one that is Cairn Terrier, but Buddy looked like the Scottie one.
Ravelry download ($1.49):
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/scottie-dog-dishcloth
or her site:
http://www.designs-by-emily.com/dlg/cart/
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